PALO, Leyte — A bridge or tunnel connecting the Visayas to Mindanao is set for a feasibility study this year, alongside a similar study for a structure linking Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Northern Samar.

House Minority Leader and 4Ps Partylist Rep. Marcelino Libanan said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has committed funds to conduct the feasibility study on a fixed link between Southern Leyte and Surigao del Norte.

“DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon told me that both feasibility studies will be fully funded this year, bidded out, and studied,” Libanan told the DAILY TRIBUNE. “This will practically connect Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with permanent structures.”

The 2026 General Appropriations Act has allocated P130 million for the Luzon-Visayas feasibility study. In September 2025, Libanan submitted House Bill 4950 proposing a bridge or tunnel for the Visayas-Mindanao link. He is also the author of House Bill 4589, which covers the Luzon-Visayas bridge.

Libanan explained that the geographical separation between Leyte and Mindanao has long posed challenges to the smooth movement of people, goods, and services, with the Surigao Strait acting as a natural barrier. Current ferry services between Liloan, Southern Leyte, and Surigao City are vulnerable to weather disruptions, capacity limits, and delays, hampering commerce and travel.

“The construction of a permanent land link—whether through a long-span bridge or an undersea tunnel—will transform the movement of people, goods, and services between the Visayas and Mindanao,” Libanan said.

He added that such a structure will provide a direct, safe, and reliable passage, boost trade, stimulate local economies, and enhance business competitiveness. It is also expected to promote tourism by creating a key gateway for travel between the two island groups while reducing reliance on maritime transport, which is often affected by typhoons and rough seas.

“This infrastructure will physically unite the Visayas and Mindanao, much like how the San Juanico Bridge connected Leyte and Samar,” Libanan said. “It will be a symbol of national integration and a strategic investment in the country’s long-term development and unity.”